March 7

Batman’s Original Utility Belt Was Made Out of Sponges

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Who didn’t want to own a Batman utility belt as a kid? In the 1960s, the Ideal Toy Company manufactured one for purchase, complete with Bat-Cuffs and “Bat-A-Rang.” It was fun but looked nothing like its TV counterpart. The bright yellow, pouch covered belt hanging around Adam West’s waist was an iconic part of his Batman outfit.

Let’s peek into the Batcave closet and take a closer look at the secrets of the belt. There were several versions and add-ons during the production of Batman.

Believe it or not, one of the utility belts was made of kitchen sponges. When the show was first broadcast, such source material would never have been noticed. However, with our HD broadcasts, the detail is right there on screen. You can see the dishwashing-ready accessory up top.

Thankfully, the absorbent “pouches” were later replaced with wood blocks, sometimes covered in leather, which were then painted with yellow latex gloss paint.

The pouches were, in some cases, interchangeable to add the deep triangular pouch used to holster the Batarang on the belt. As for the tubes that are seen on the belt, those were simply wooden dowels painted and added to break up the belt a bit from the rectangular pouches.

With a little time and effort, you might be able to make yourself. So get ready, chums. Be it for cosplay, Halloween or for fun, you can make “those wonderful toys” for yourself.

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September 19

Want To See Iron Man Dancing With a T-Rex?

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I had the pleasure of setting up shop at TopCon this past weekend, a small convention in Topeka, Kansas. It being their hometown, of course the IBOTKS were there (Iron Brothers of Topeka, KS).  They’re a family cosplay group that’s built some amazing Ironman themed cosplays, along with many other costumes too.  I just happened to catch this video of Ironman and War Machine getting their groove on with a T-Rex (and it’s hard to see, but there’s this little kid in the middle of it all dancing his little heart out too).  Needless to say, it was a fun weekend.  If you want to see more pictures from TopCon, head on over to their photo gallery!

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September 12

The Amazing Uncanny Spider-Clops!

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Spidey Matt Cosplay attended DragonCon, and he used it to showcase a new costume he came up with: the Amazing Uncanny Spider-Clops!

Does he shoot spiders from his optic blasts? Ewwwwwwwwww, shudder! Was Peter Parker bitten by a radioactive Scott Summers? Spidey Matt’s thought was it was a spider bitten by a radioactive mutant. It wasn’t until Ben Gray (Uncle Ben / Jean Gray) died, that he became a hero.

If you check out his Facebook page, Spidey Matt has some really great tips on how to put together a good Spider-Man suit. It’s definitely worth a read.

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August 15

Fashionable and Functional! A Supernatural DIY Skirt.

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It may look like a simple and graphic geometric design, but there’s something really cool about this skirt: It’s actually a Devil’s Trap from the show Supernatural.

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What’s even cooler than this skirt? How about making your own? Blogger, Kat, from If Lies Were Cats You’d Be a Litter, has got a great step-by-step tutorial for making your own Devil’s Trap skirt.  The pictures are a little blurry, and the measurements are all in centimeters. However, the instructions are detailed and easy to follow.  Kat uses ribbon to decorate her skirt, but narrow, white bias tape might work just as well. If you’ve got a little sewing know-how already, then this project is perfect for you.  Besides, you never know when you might need to whip off your skirt and catch yourself a demon.  Woah.

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July 31

This Cosplayer Had The Best Reaction To Her Work Dress Code

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When cosplayer June J. Rivas came dressed for work in the above picture, her boss took issue with the way she chose to wear her hair. Ponytail? Unprofessional. Pigtails? Unprofessional. Scarf? You got it. Unprofessional. (Wow, I’d be unprofessional about half the time then, with my ponytail!)

The issue, however, was that the company had no dress code beyond “Just be clean and pressed,” which Rivas pointed out when she filed a complaint. Her boss’s reaction was to, you guessed it, issue a memo with a new dress code that included, “No straps, hats, sandals, cleavage, back out, lace, and even cultural head wraps.”

Rivas has filed a complaint with the EEOC and she’s found a way to cleverly adhere to the dress code while her case is pending: cosplay. Each day, she wears a new cosplay that likely drives her boss nuts but isn’t technically actionable. Her Vulcan Star Fleet officer costume is just one example.

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The Facebook posts that Rivas wrote about this are gone now, as are her photos. But thankfully, there are sites like Hello Giggles and Fashionably Geek around to catch this kind of stuff for us. However, it’s been reported that she ended her post with a hashtag: “#NeverPissOffCosplayingScorpios.”

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July 10

Upcycled Ant Man Helmet

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Mikaela Holmes, a costume and experimental fashion designer and artist, and currently an in-house content creator for the Instructables Design Studio, recently posted her directions for an upcycled Ant Man helmet over at Instructables.

This Ant Man helmet is literally made out of stuff that was lying around her studio, strategically painted, glued and duct taped together. It’s not a very hard project, and you don’t need any fancy tools to make it. And the best part about this helmet is that you’re not required to have specific items to make it. In fact, Mikaela gives alternatives for a variety of different parts. And let me know if anyone can get their hands on some Pym Particles…I’m just asking…for a friend.

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